The Cat Under The Maple Tree
by Shinza
Summary: Non-massacre A.U. Itachi is an ANBU Captain, and Konoha shinobi prodigy on a mission. Sakura is a medic-nin with a lot of secrets. Both are loyal to their cause, but neither is ready to join the other's world. /ItaSaku/


**Hello dear Reader!**

 **If you're following my other story,** ** _Hunting Iron, Sleeping Fire_** **, you are probably wondering why I am posting yet another story when I should actually be working on my on-going fic. Well, in truth, I've had this story stuck in my head for the past month and decided to finally write it down to get it out of my mind because, honestly, it's been driving crazy. But don't worry; the other story will be updated very soon! I hope you enjoy the read!**

 **Side notes :**

Narration

"Talking"

 _*Thinking*_

 **Disclaimer : I do not own** ** _Naruto_**

* * *

 **Sakura**

Every morning had been the same for the past two years as Sakura left her small wooden cottage by the edge of the forest for her morning walk. The woods were still calm and humid as the morning sun barely started to warm the cool shady air around her. There was no wind; the only sounds being the chirpings of the early birds, and her light footsteps as they crushed the forest's soft leaf covered soil. She knew that no one other than her would be in these vast woods, and didn't understand why the superstitious villagers were so frightened of this forest, calling it "The Forbidden Forest". The first time she heard the name, she had practically rolled her eyes in front of the mayor.

Sakura might have kept a very low profile around the village, but the townsfolk still found her very knowledgeable for someone so young. She knew that she was one of, if not 'the', best medic-nin in all the lands; her aunt and mentor being Tsunade, the Slug Princess herself.

The young 21-year-old woman was under the average height compared to other girls, but had a temper that could rival with the Godaime Hokage's. Other than her temper and healing skills, Sakura Haruno looked nothing like her aunt, and last living relative, Tsunade. She had a slender figure with taunt and well defined muscles, large green eyes, and bright pink hair that she usually covered up with a henge.

Today, and for the past two and a half years, her long hair was held up into a high ponytail as it appeared to others to be of a warm brown color, and matched the shade of her pants that were made out of a thick fabric. She also wore a black t-shirt that hugged her curves, as well as simple black civilian flats.

Currently holding a wooden basket in the crook of her left arm, she arrived at a clearing and started picking out the herbs needed for the day. This was another reason why she loved this forest. It was full of herbs and rare plants that even Konoha had a hard time growing. She had sent a few seeds to her aunt, in order to complete the Leaf Village's herbal garden, and hoped they had grown well.

Picking the last of the plants she required, Sakura wondered how her hometown, and her aunt, were holding up. She had left Konoha at the age of 8, right after passing the academy exam, and had been sent to the capital, with her aunt, after her parents' death. Since then, a lot had happened and Tsunade had become the Hokage of her birth village, but Sakura had never had time to come and visit. She thought of her village from time to time, and wanted to see just how much it had changed, but she had sworn loyalty to someone that she just couldn't turn down, especially not right now, so had never asked for a few days off to visit her hometown.

Shoving the gloomy thoughts aside, she made her way back out of the forest. There really wasn't anything dangerous in these woods. The only other living being that Sakura had crossed path with had been a beautiful stag, and that encounter had occurred over six months ago. Unfortunately, the villagers of Tsano were very superstitious people, and didn't let strangers mingle with them. Heck, she had been given a small cottage at the outskirts of the village and, even after all these years, she still hadn't earn the trust of all of the villagers. Not that she could blame them.

Sakura had been sent here on a mission, staging an attack on herself and faking amnesia in order to stay near the village until her memories came back, which will probably happen once she's completed her mission, but that the villagers didn't need to know.

As she entered the small town's main gates, she knocked on the door of the first house to her right. As an old woman opened the door, Sakura gave her a warm smile.

"Good morning Many-san. I have brought the herbs for your joint pains."

This was a small village with no hospitals or doctors. If ever a villager was sick, they had to travel for half a day by foot before reaching the nearest town in order to see a doctor. Even if this wasn't part of her mission, the kunoichi had taken on herself to help the villagers. Of course, since she was the only one that dared to enter the 'Forbidden Forest', she was also the only one that could go get the medicinal herbs. Healing the townsfolk had helped her with being accepted, but some people were still weary of her, so she stayed in the little cottage outside the village.

"Thank you Sakura. What would you like in exchange?"

"I'm almost out of toothpaste, would you have some to spare?"

The old woman disappeared for a few moments before reappearing with a brand new tube of toothpaste. Sakura gave her another smile, and a small bow, before putting the tube into her basket and leaving for her next stop. This village was actually pretty poor, especially since a gang of robbers had started to frequently attack the village people about a year ago, stealing their gold and other precious belongings. Knowing that, the only solution she had found to take care of her living expenses, while keeping a low profile, was by trading. She traded herbs and healed small wounds in exchange for whatever she needed, even if most of the time she didn't ask for anything.

Opening the door to her next stop, a little bell rang throughout the shop filled with wooden shelves stocked to the rim, making the owner look up from a book. Anyko was a strong looking woman that always smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Today her black hair was held back in a bun, giving her a strict look as her deep brown eyes focused on her new customer.

Sakura knew better than to let herself be fooled by her closed appearance. If you wanted to know the details of a gossip running through the village, Anyko was the one to go to. After saving her smallest daughter from a terrible fever, Anyko had taken a liking to Sakura, and practically saw her as her own daughter now.

"Good morning dear, what brings you today?"

A genuine smile found Sakura's lips. When her mission was over, she was going to miss the caring woman.

"Good morning Anyko-san. I have brought the herbs you wanted for the Jasmine tea."

Sakura put down a bundle of fresh leaves on the counter, noting that she still had a few more houses to visit before the end of the morning visits.

"Thank you dear! I was almost out of Jasmine. What do you want today?"

The woman gave her a sly smile. Anyko, being the village's worst gossiper, was a very smart and observant woman, but even if she had figured out that Sakura was a ninja, she had never said a thing. She might be the worst gossiper around, but she also knew when to hold her tongue, and for that, Sakura was thankful.

The young woman looked around. She knew that she was almost out of fruits, but those she could get with Jinko, an old little farmer that loved playing shogi with her ever since she had helped him out after he had broken his leg in the fields. As Sakura's eyes stopped on a glass jar full of lollipops, a slow smile formed on her lips. The sweets, in the shape of a maple leaf, were made out of maple syrup and came from the Land of Snow. Sakura had once let slip to the children that those were her favorite treats, and two weeks later she had found them in Anyko's shop. When she had asked the shopkeeper about it, the elder woman swore to her that she had randomly gotten them after a good bargain for other supplies from Snow. Of course, Sakura had quickly noticed that she was the only one in the entire village to eat those, but Anyko always seemed to have some in stock, and that thought made Sakura smile.

"I'll just take a Maple lollipop, thank you."

Holding the wrapper of the dark honey colored sweet to her lips, Sakura thanked Anyko and left the shop. As she passed through the door, her eyes shot open as she felt an unknown presence right in front of her. Her body moved on its own accord, jumping aside and landing into a crouch, a few feet away from the stranger she had almost ran into. The man was a good head taller than her, with broad shoulders, jet black hair, and wearing one of Konoha's red ANBU masks. Not wasting a second more, she threw herself into the nearest alley that ran along the back of Anyko's shop, disappearing into a flurry of pink petals.

A few seconds later, she was outside the village, chakra hidden, and leaning against a tree trying to calm her beating heart.

 _*What the HELL? Sakura, you idiot! You probably just blew your own cover!*_

As she was berating herself for what a stupid move that had been, the young medic-nin hoped that the other villagers hadn't seen her little runaway show. They knew that she could heal with chakra, which rose enough suspicions on her really being amnesic or not, but had always been very careful not to show off her shinobi skills, keeping her chakra levels low so that other ninjas wouldn't notice her if they passed by the little town. Normally, she was always aware of her surroundings, but she hadn't been able to sense him until she had practically ran into the man's chest. And that's when a warning bell had started screaming " _Danger_ " into the back of her head as she let her instincts take over, and leaped away from him so fast that she had dropped her lollipop. She frowned at the thought that she had just lost a perfect piece of candy.

Sakura was frustrated with herself. Sure the guy had a dangerous aura around him, but that didn't mean that she could just let herself make such a rookie mistake. She had been stuck here for over two years in order to complete her mission, she was a damned good kunoichi, had beaten her aunt in sparring matches on many occasions, and she could NOT afford being discovered just because she was startled by some wannabe ANBU from the village she was born in.

Taking in a deep breath to calm herself completely, she decided that she would make the last two deliveries she had to before calling it the day and hiding out in her little cottage. She didn't need the rumor mill to bring more attention on her than what she had already gotten today, which it would, if ever she didn't show up for her daily deliveries. Trying to act as normal as possible, she made her way back to Anyko's shop, a small pout on her lips when she saw that her lollipop wasn't on the floor where she had dropped it.

 _*Stupid ANBU lollipop-thief.*_

And with that last thought, Sakura walked leisurely past the shop, smoothing her features into a bored face, as she concentrated on the chakras around her. When she reached the house she needed to deliver the medicinal herbs too, she relaxed a bit, not sensing an unknown presence in the vicinity.

Thirty minutes later, she had finished with her deliveries and made her way back to Anyko's shop. If there was one person, other than the mayor, that knew what that ninja wanted, it would be her. Sending her chakra in front of her, she entered shop once she was sure that Anyko was alone. As the bell rang, Sakura thought of a few conversation starters that would get the shopkeeper to give her the information she wanted, but that idea quickly died when she saw the sly smile on Anyko's lips as she made her way to the counter.

"Sakura, my dear. I'm sure you've already _bumped_ into our new guest?"

Sakura's cheeks flamed red of embarrassment, playing along with the elder woman, but still feeling frustrated for what had happened earlier. Anyko, of course, had seen it all since it had happened right in front of her shop, but the kunoichi decided to play the innocent card.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Anyko dismissed her question instantly, waving a hand between them.

"Oh please! I saw you run into him before falling backwards."

Sakura was relieved to know that the only person from the village, that could have seen her chakra induced leap, had brushed it off as her falling backwards and out of her sight after colliding with a stranger. But that didn't stop the nosy shopkeeper from stopping there.

"I told him where you lived. No need to thank me."

 _*Wait, what?*_

"What?!"

Sakura clamped her hand over her mouth, she hadn't meant for her voice to take that high of a pitch, but the comment had taken her completely off guard. Worry filled her at the thought of Anyko sending any random ANBU shinobi to her house and secrets. When Anyko saw the pale look on Sakura's face, she started pulling conclusions.

"Don't worry dear. I know that there aren't a lot of available young men in this village. You can use this opportunity to have a bit of fun. You're young and pretty, live a little!"

Sakura ignored the elder woman's suggestive look, anxiously trying to think of a way out of this.

"Wh-Why?"

Anyko let out a laugh at her miserable expression, she hadn't gotten a good gossip in so long. This was going to be so much fun!

"It's okay dear. He is a fine piece of meat, if you ask me. And if the face isn't your type, I'm sure you can just tell him to keep the mask on while he ravishes your body."

Sakura looked appalled at what Anyko, that was practically a mother figure to her, was saying while not even trying to hide just how much fun she thought this all was. The younger woman didn't even try faking her embarrassment anymore as the little wheels in her head started turning, searching for a way out of this predicament.

"If he's that much of a hunk, he probably already has someone waiting for him back home", Sakura said, her words wavering just the slightest bit.

The sly, Cheshire like, grin that appeared on Anyko's features sent an uneasy shiver down Sakura's spine. This woman was trouble when she started digging for gossips.

"I'm sure that's not the case. He's the one that asked me about you."

 _*Of course he did*_ , Sakura thought grimly.

"He wanted to know your name and where he could find you later this afternoon, since he had a meeting with the mayor this morning. He wants to give you back the lollipop you dropped."

Sakura perked up a bit when she heard about the meeting with the mayor.

"The mayor? Did the village put out a job request to a hidden village?"

Anyko shrugged at her question, a little sad that the fake brunette in front of her hadn't reacted to the 'lollipop' comment she had made.

"I don't know, he entered my shop saying that he was looking for the mayor's house, to accept a mission from our village. Maybe the village finally got enough funds to hunt down that bloody gang of thieves."

Sakura simply nodded at that. The thieves had nothing to do with her mission, but she couldn't help fighting them off whenever she heard them attacking and pillaging the village at night. They were worthless scums that had no qualms in killing a child just to take his pocket money. Unfortunately, by the time she arrived, they would usually run off with what they had already found.

In the idea to keep up the appearance of a lost little amnesic medic, Sakura wore a disguise when she fought against the miscreants. Covered in black, the other villagers knew her by the name of The Cat, because the only distinct features she let show were her short pink hair framing a smooth porcelain mask with outlines of a pink cat's face drawn onto it.

Seeing that she wouldn't be getting any more information out of the shopkeeper, Sakura, waved her goodbye, saying that she had stuff to take care off, only to hear Anyko wish her luck with her date this afternoon.

Feeling a bit defeated, Sakura took the long way home, using the roads that were farthest from the mayor's house. Anyko didn't know that she was a shinobi, but the ANBU from this morning was sure to have noticed, and probably wanted to know why she had bolted the way she had the second she had seen him. Anyko was an intelligent woman who often guessed right, but she had been dead wrong on her last statement. This meeting wasn't going to be anything relatively close to a date.

Passing the small village's gates, she made her way to the nearby lake, hoping that if she didn't show up to her cottage this afternoon, the lollipop-thief would just leave… Even if she had a feeling that she wouldn't be that lucky.

Keeping herself from letting out a desperate sigh, she heard a faint scream. It was high pitched like that of a child, but muffled by the distance. Not wasting any time, Sakura dropped her basket and ran as fast as she could, careful to not use any chakra, and arrived just in time to see a tall and bulky man dragging a crying little boy by the arm. Sakura felt anger bubble up her chest as she recognized the child. His name was Takumi, Anyko's second youngest child. The kunoichi didn't have time to go back to her cottage and put on her mask, so she kept running towards the bully, praying that he was alone so that she didn't really have to fight him seriously.

"HEY! You! Leave that kid alone!"

Anger made her voice fearsome, and the man actually flinched a bit when he heard her shout. Of course, when he saw that it was just a little woman, standing alone in the middle of the dirt road, that had yelled out to him, an eerie smile crossed his features as he threw Takumi aside. The guy was huge; a bulky mountain of muscles that stood over two heads taller than her.

"My, my, what do we have here? You also wanna play with me, sweetheart?"

Ignoring the intimidating man coming her way, Sakura yelled at Takumi to run back to the village while she scanned her surroundings for any signs of chakra. Once the young boy was out of sight, she would be able to properly punch that big scum into next week. He wouldn't be getting any mercy from her.

As she stood tall, glaring at the tall jerk, she felt a presence. It was faint, barely a flicker of chakra coming from the trees behind her, but if she hadn't been looking for it, she would have missed it. Unfortunately, that little piece of information bugged her more than it should have. She now had an audience, and whether it was a friend of bozzo here, or a certain Konoha shinobi, this wasn't good for her.

When the large man arrived in front of her, he roughly grabbed her wrist, pulling her up onto her tippy toes. Reigning her anger, Sakura kept her chakra concealed as she started hitting the hand that was bruising her left wrist. Maybe that would draw out whoever was hiding? When the rude ape holding her passed his second arm around her waist to press their bodies together, she felt her temper get the best of her as she kneed him below the belt. Normally she wouldn't play dirty tricks like that, but he really hadn't left her any choice.

Stepping back, as he released her wrist to fall to his knees, Sakura knew she was going to have to take a hit when the very angry guy in front of her raised his fist. So she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the impact,… but it never came. She slowly opened one eye, then the other, noticing that her enemy was just standing there, arms dangling by his sides, eyes gazing into nothingness above her head. Feeling the hairs on the nape of her neck stand up, she turned around swiftly, only to be met with a pair of blood red eyes. Red eyes with three tomoes spinning lazily as the stranger in front of her kept his eyes focused on the big guy behind her.

Sakura's eyes squinted a bit. He was an Uchiha, a member of one of the most powerful clans in Konohagakure, and he possessed his family's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan. She looked him over as she stepped aside, not wanting to stay sandwiched between two enemies, even if the new guy was more than 10 meters away from her. Upon further inspection, she noticed that the ANBU mask hanging from his belt had the same raven drawing than the one she had seen this morning.

 _*Great, just my luck. It's the lollipop-thief.*_

He was tall with lean muscles and broad shoulders, had long raven black hair held back in a low ponytail, and two locks of hair fell on each side of his sharp and angular face, with deep tear ducts that gave him a tired look. He wore the standard ANBU uniform with the black jacket over a nigh blue long sleeved top, black pants that stopped to his knees, with white wrappings that protected his calves, and black shinobi sandals. He looked bored as he turned his gaze towards her, letting her giant assailant fall to the ground, unconscious.

His eyes had switched back to an onyx color, hard and scrutinizing, observing her every move. Sakura felt as if his piercing stare was looking into her soul, unraveling her secrets, and she didn't like it one bit.

She stayed unmoving, holding his gaze with her own calm mask on, even if she felt a little unnerved at the fact that just a look from him could have her fast asleep in a second. She hadn't even felt him sneak up behind her, even if he had probably been the fleeting presence she had sensed earlier. On the other hand, if he had wanted her dead, she would already have been lying on the floor with the big brute, so she held her ground and waited for him to speak up.

After almost a minute of staring at each other, Sakura guessed that he wouldn't say anything and started walking towards him. Folding her arms in front of her, she smoothed out her features, ignoring the warning bells still ringing in the back of her head, a slight smile on her lips.

"Thank you for your help."

When he gave her a slight nod, his face stayed impassive. She turned around and entered the village. She wanted to check up on Takumi before heading back to her small house. This time, he followed her, not bothering to hide his chakra signature from her, but always staying a few steps behind her.

 _*Wonderful. By tomorrow morning the entire village is going to be talking.*_

At Sakura's great frustration, she could already feel the neighbors' stares on them, and tried to ignore it all as she saw Takumi crying into his older sister's arms. Walking slowly to the small child, she crouched down, ruffling his hair as she shot him a bright smile.

"Big boys shouldn't cry, Takumi."

His eyes widened as he saw her, more tears rolling down his cheeks as he threw his little arms around her neck, his voice muffled by her shirt.

"Sakuraaaaa nee-ch-chan. I thought he was g-going to hurt you."

The young woman felt a calm smile take over her features as she wrapped her arms around his shaking frame, her voice low and reassuring.

"I'm fine, and that big guy won't be bothering the village anymore. The Leaf shinobi saved us."

After a few minutes of calming the little Takumi, Sakura healed his bruised arm, so that Anyko wouldn't be worried, and walked the siblings back to their home. She kissed them goodnight and left for her own home, still aware of the Uchiha following her as she left the village to get her basket that she had dropped on her way to saving Takumi.

When her small wooden cottage was in sight, she hesitated between entering it and slamming the door to his face for following her around so openly, or turning around and speak her mind on his stalking behavior. After a few seconds of debating the pros and cons of both ideas, she decided that the farthest from her house he was, the better. Spinning on her heals, she turned around in one swift movement, green eyes locking with black ones. They were now less than 2 meters away from one another, immobile; him with his hands shoved into his pockets, her with one fist on her hip and the other holding her basket. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything, he silently raised a single brow, as if asking "What?"

"Is there anything you need, shinobi-san?"

Her voice was a little harsh, but she really wanted to get home before the sun started setting over the horizon.

"Just to talk."

His answer was short and precise, straight to the point. Sakura checked his body language for any trick or animosity, but found none. He was good. Very good. Giving him a short nod, he took that as his cue and walked up to her, in a slow and predator like walk, his eyes never leaving hers as both were on their guards. This man was definitely dangerous, and she couldn't help the small shiver that ran through her body, not entirely sure if she enjoyed it or not.

He stopped in front of her before taking out his right hand from his pocket and raising it to her. When she glanced down and saw that he was holding the maple leaf lollipop, she felt her eyes open wide, surprised that he would actually bring it back. A slow smile crept on her features as she looked up from the peace offering.

"You can keep the treat, as a thank you gift. For helping Takumi."

She fell into an easy pace as she headed towards the nearest tree, sitting down between its roots. The ANBU shinobi followed close before leaning against the tree next to hers, and once he had settled down, she waited for him to begin.

"What's you name?"

She gave a short snort; for someone that seemed to always go straight to the point, he was very polite since Anyko had already told him her name. But she played along.

"Sakura Haruno. And you?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

She had left the village when she was eight years old, but she was pretty sure that she had never met the Uchiha before, so wasn't worried that he would blow her cover.

"What village are you from?"

"Not sure, the Capital."

"I'm from Konoha, and was sent here on a mission."

This little game of give and take was going to get very tricky, very fast. Not missing a beat, she answered smoothly:

"I'm bit amnesic and have been allowed to stay here until I get all of my memories back. Or that I at least get back enough memories to remember my home."

She gave a light shrug, not looking at him but hoping that he was going to buy it. She had practiced this lie for the past two years, and almost believed it herself, but the ANBU was very perceptive. After staring at her for another minute, he continued.

"How long have you been here?"

"Two years and seven months. Why did Konoha send an ANBU?"

"Hokage-sama has sent me on this mission to rest. I have to get rid of a few thugs."

At his statement, he tore his gaze from her and started unwrapping the lollipop, trying to think up of another question for her.

"You have received a special training", he asked before popping the sweet into his mouth. It wasn't really a question, but she took it as such.

"I'm a medic. I trade medicinal herbs, and heal the villagers, in exchange for food and appliances. The worst I had to deal with was a broken leg."

"I'm an ANBU captain from Konoha. Why do you live outside the village?"

Sakura kept her gaze in front of her, watching the clouds roll by.

"The mayor told me that I could use the cottage here. Even after two years, I'm still not trusted to live inside the village."

She paused, noticing that the sky was darkening, and began again.

"I don't mind. The kids are adorable, and not all of the townsfolk are hostile to strangers. How's the lollipop?"

He took a few seconds to answer, earning a glance from Sakura. Apparently her question had thrown him off. His face stayed composed as he took out the leaf-shaped sweet from his mouth to inspect it.

"I like it. What is it?"

She looked back up at the clouds, hiding the fact that the corners of her lips were slightly tilting up.

"It's made from Maple syrup, from the Snow Lands. Why did an ANBU captain accept a B-class mission?"

"I was blackmailed into it by Hokage-sama. It was either rest on this mission, or be on house arrest with my little brother and his hyperactive friend."

Sakura silently snickered at that. Of course her Shishou would blackmail her most stubborn patients.

"What can you tell me about the thieves?"

Her snicker died at the question. He was finally getting to the point, still twirling the lollipop-stick between his fingers.

"They attack randomly, usually at night. Come in, break and steal the little valuable things they can find, and leave just as fast. Do you not like your brother?"

From the corner of her eye, she actually saw his gaze soften just the slightest, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"No, I care deeply for my Otouto. But two weeks stuck in the compound with him and his loud friend isn't really my idea of resting. Have you ever seen their leader?"

"I barely hear the attacks from here. And no, I've never seen their leader. Why aren't you asking these questions to the villagers?"

"The mayor told me that their leader was going by the name of The Cat... And the other villagers glared at me before entering into the nearest house when I tried asking them questions. You're part of the village, no?"

"No, not really. They are kind people, but are very wary of strangers, so you'll have to forgive them. If you want to know what the villagers think, just ask Anyko, the village's shopkeeper. But you're going to need to give her some juicy gossip if you want her to share. What makes the mayor think that it's The Cat their leader?"

"He is the mayor. What makes you doubt him?"

Sakura got up suddenly, dusting herself off before grabbing her wooden basket. She looked at him over her shoulder before adding:

"Ask Anyko that question. Goodnight Uchiha-san."

She started walking back to her cottage as the first stars started to scatter across the sky. Not feeling him following her anymore, she entered her small and drafty little wooden home. It wasn't much, but the bed was warm, there was a small bathroom with warm water, and as long as it didn't rain too much, she had electricity for the kitchenette in the corner.

o.O.o

The next morning, Sakura left for her morning walk into the forest, even if the sun was barely out. She only needed to gather lemongrass and mint for Anyko who wanted to try serving new kinds of teas in her small shop, so it should have been a short walk, if she hadn't ran into unwanted guests. Feeling a small group of people coming from her left, she climbed up the nearest tree, hiding between the leaves. No villager ever came into the forest, and Itachi had said that he was here alone, so that could only mean that trouble was afoot.

After a few minutes of crouching on her branch, Sakura saw three figures walking side by side, weaving themselves a path between the tree trunks. The one that seemed to be leading the two others was a small round man, bald, with little beady eyes hidden behind iron rimmed spectacles. Sakura recognized him instantly as the mayor. Apparently her mission was coming to an end, and seeing the two shady men following him, so was Itachi's.

"That Konoha nin took down Zabu in an instant! How the hell do you want us to go up against him, boss?", worried the one on the left.

"We don't need to go up against him, you fool. We just need him to catch The Cat. Once that pesky ninja is out of our way, I'll free everyone else from prison, like I've always done."

Sakura's eyes narrowed at that comment. No wonder their numbers never dwindled down no matter how many thieves she had caught. Her eyes stayed focus on the mayor as he walked briskly, visibly annoyed by the questions his two followers were asking him.

"I don't know, boss. Can't we just call it quits and leave for another town? The villagers don't have much money left to steal anyways", tempted the blond thief from the right.

"NO! A representative from the capital will arrive in a week, I can't have him suspecting anything if I want to enter the Daimyo's council."

The little man stopped, his face red with anger as he huffed from his fast pace. Taking a tissue out from his shirt pocket, he wiped off the sweat from his brow before adding:

"We'll attack one last time after the representative leaves. I'll ask the shinobi to catch The Cat in under a week to get him off our backs, and in 10 days exactly we'll burn the village to the ground and take everything that is of value."

"All right boss, we'll spread the word then."

As Sakura saw the three men part ways, plans were forming in her head. If the Uchiha was going to be ordered to catch The Cat, she was going to have to play it safe, and find a way to trap the mayor. Falling silently from her hiding place, she made her way to the clearing where she knew she would be able to collect the herbs she wanted, lost in thoughts. Once she had enough plants in her basket, Sakura sat at the foot of the nearest tree to meditate on what she had learned.

The villagers would never believe her. It was, after all, her word against the mayor's. Putting her mask away was out of the question; she would not stand idly by if the villagers were to be attacked in under two weeks time. No, she had to act, and fast. She could write a letter to her client and make her final report, sending the village's fastest hawk to the Capital. After that, she would just need to wait until the mayor showed his true colors in front of the townspeople, and have Itachi book him. Now the tricky part was making the konoha shinobi leave the village so that the mayor could actually make his move. She would then drag him back to the village a few days later, during the attack. That should be proof enough for Itachi's mission, and with a little luck, she could disappear before dawn, her own mission accomplished.

The young medic started dozing off as she thought over the main details of her plan. Her eyes closed, head leaned back against the tree bark, legs crossed at her ankles in front of her, and her arms loosely folded in her lap. The forest was calm, perfect to meditate.

"You shouldn't let your guard down like that."

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, but kept her muscles loose, refusing to twitch in front of him. He had, once again, sneaked up on her, and she hadn't even felt the slightest hint at his presence. Good thing he didn't seem to want to kill her, yet, or she would have been in major trouble.

"Good morning Uchiha-san. What brings you here?"

She kept her eyes closed, tone even, but in her mind she was starting to doubt that she could distract him away from the village for a few days. Maybe if she drugged him… ?

"Like you said, I need a juicy gossip to talk to Anyko."

At that statement, Sakura opened one emerald eye to look at him. He could have easily snuck around town last night to eavesdrop on conversations, snoop inside a villager's diary for a hidden secret, or even charm one of the ladies while getting their husband drunk enough to have him make a scandal. He didn't really need her help.

As she looked him over with a scrutinizing eye, he didn't move. Still wearing that same emotionless mask, standing in front of her with both hands stuffed into his pockets, she started to find it a bit annoying how she just couldn't read him.

"If she sees you with one of the village girls, in her shop, then that will suffice for her… probably."

"Probably?"

"She thinks you're a 'fine piece of meat'... And wouldn't have had told you where my cottage was if she didn't think that you were a gentleman."

At her words, Itachi shifted slightly to his right, his gaze looking at the branches on top of her, shoving his fists deeper into his pockets, and that's when it hit her. The Uchiha was nervous! The way he was tilting his gaze away from her proved that her comment had embarrassed him. She killed the smirk that started to form on her lips, filed that information in her brain for later use, and added:

"If she sees you holding a girl's hand, or better yet, kissing her, then you could probably have her spill any deep dark secret this town has."

Sakura shrugged nonchalantly at her last statement, closing her eyes once again. Inwardly, for some weird reason that she wasn't ready to look into, she was ecstatic to know that mister-stoic-face here was so easily embarrassed.

"Would you count as one of the village girls?"

"Why would-"

She stopped mid sentence, her brain registering what he had just asked. She opened her eyes again to see if he was serious. Other than that infuriating smirk twitching at the corners of his lips, he looked serious, which only made Sakura's eye narrow into slits.

"You seem to get along well with Anyko-san, so asking you is the easiest solution for me. But I understand if it… unsettles you."

His bored tone was really starting to get on her nerves, especially since he had just used it to mock her. She got up in one fluid motion, fists clenched on her hips as green eyes blazed with defiance, as she stood merely inches away from him.

"Is that a challenge?"

"A simple suggestion."

His breath washed over her, bringing a minty smell to her nose.

"What's in it for me? I'm the one that's going to have to bear the gossips once you're gone."

They were slowly leaning into one another as the deal was being made, their eyes intense and focused in hope of seeing the other hesitate or back out.

"A Maple lollipop."

Her voice came out in a teasing whisper, "Just one?"

She knew she was playing with fire, but his words and mind games were so tempting.

"One for each minute we spend in the shop."

Had she imagined the husky tone his voice had taken?

"Deal."

A smirk appeared on her lips as she brushed past him, picked up her basket, and started heading back to the village. He fell into step with her, his arms resting by his sides, as he asked another question, his voice back to a monotonous sound.

"Why did you run?"

Her step didn't falter, but she knew that she had entered a dangerous zone. By the way his eyes seemed to hardened as he looked in front of them, face serious, it was obvious that the question had been bugging him. The inquiry appeared to have come out of the blue, but they both knew exactly what he had been talking about.

"It was a bad reflex, my body moved on its own. With all the thieves and robbers around the village, I wasn't going to stick around to see if a guy wearing an ANBU mask had good or bad intentions."

"Your presence disappeared pretty fast."

He didn't miss a beat. Then again, neither did she.

"I can run fast."

"Then why go head-on with that behemoth and not me?"

"Anyko can defend herself. And it's the adults' job to protect the children."

"While putting yourself in harm's way? As a medic you should have known better."

"I got Takumi to run to safety, and got that pervert to his knees. Then I was going to run into the village. He wouldn't have had followed."

"From where I was standing, he was going to knock you out."

"I'm not that defenseless."

"I know. You held back."

At this statement, she let the silence fall between them. Sakura was going to let him think whatever he wanted. But still, it felt like she had lost the debate, while she cursed his stupid Sharigan that had probably seen through the chakra patterns that she had tried to conceal.

As they approached Anyko's shop, they both kept their gazes on the wooden structure before he spoke up again.

"You would never hurt the people in this village."

It wasn't a question, but once again she took it as such, her voice calm, not hesitating.

"No, I couldn't."

For a second she noticed just how honest she sounded, as the simple and plain truth came out of her lips, where it had hidden between all the twisted ones she had served Itachi.

"I'm going to crack that mask of yours."

His voice was also calm, but the determination that came off him made her wonder if that had been a threat, a warning, or a promise. Whatever it was, she knew that it wasn't good news for her.

"I'm not the one with the mask attached to my hip, but good luck with that, Raven-san."

They were about to step into Anyko's shop when he silently took her hand in his, bending his face down slightly towards hers as he opened the glass door with his other hand.

"Call me Itachi", he whispered into her ear as his hand slipped away from hers to rest on her lower back, gently pushing her into the shop.

If she hadn't guessed that this was an act to get Anyko to talk, she wouldn't have hesitated to punch him through the wall the second he had invaded her personal space. As they both walked in, Anyko looked up, failing to hide her surprised look at the young couple in front of her.

"Why, good morning Sakura. It's so nice to see you…, and well accompanied at that."

The kunoichi's muscles stiffened when Itachi let his fingers brush across her back as he left her side and made his way towards a shelf holding a few scrolls. Sakura couldn't help the light pink blush that spread over her cheeks, but ignored the low teasing chuckle of the Uchiha as she put down her basket in front of Anyko.

"Thank you very much for the herbs. But tell me, why bring this very fine young man to my shop?"

Even if she was whispering, Anyko's tone was way too chirpy and excited to pass as innocent.

"We ran into each other this morning and he politely asked if he could accompany me on my morning rounds."

Sakura's smile was strained, but Anyko figured that the young lady was just embarrassed.

"Very well dear. So, what do you want today?"

"I'll just be taking one of these", Sakura said, reaching out for a Maple lollipop. She hadn't gotten to eating one yesterday, since she had given it to Itachi, but this time she took off the wrapper and stuffed the piece of candy into her mouth, making it clear that she wouldn't be talking anymore.

"Dear, that temper of yours is probably what chases the men away. I was just teasing you", Anyko chastised, but her playful smile didn't leave her lips as she continued, "So, for how long will he be staying?"

Itachi chose that exact moment to sneak up on them, placing his hand on the small of Sakura's back and plucking her lollipop from her lips, which only got him a glare from his partner in crime.

"I'll be leaving once I catch the robbers, and their chief, that have been plaguing this village", he answered smoothly before taking the Maple syrup treat into his own mouth. Much to Sakura's bewilderment.

 _*That bloody lollipop-thief!*_

Anyko pushed Sakura's wooden basket aside and leaned over her counter, reeled in by the promise of more sweet gossip, her eyes getting that little twinkle of mischief that Sakura had learned to be wary of.

"Really now? And just who may that chief be?"

"The Cat, of course."

"Pshhh, nonsense!"

Anyko waved Itachi's offending idea away, standing straight as she faced the Uchiha that was almost two heads taller than her.

"Listen shinobi, The Cat has been the only one in this town to stand up against these thugs. He saved many lives, and brought back a lot of our belongings ever since the attacks started. I don't know where you got your sources from, but they are dead wrong. Even the mayor had tried to make him come out in order to thank him, but he never showed up."

Sakura cringed inwardly at the memory. The man had posted missives all over the town, and in the nearby villages, in order to draw her out and reward her for all the help she had given. Since she knew that the village was already having problems sustaining itself, she didn't bother to show up. Knowing that the villagers were safe was enough a reward for her… not that she would have showed up even if the village did have enough money to give her a reward. But still, for her it had been the thought that had counted.

"I see. So no one knows where this _Cat_ is?"

"Dear, if someone in this town knew where he hid, then I would also be in the know. And if I knew, then I would have already met with the man and thanked him properly for saving my three kids when one of those brutes had barged into my home."

Seeing that the conversation was only making the poor woman upset, Sakura leaned into Itachi's side, bumping their hips slightly together in hopes that he would understand the silent demand and drop the subject, but the action wasn't lost to Anyko either.

"Thank you for the information then, Anyko-san. I shall look into the matter more closely now", Itachi said calmly as he gave her a slight bow. Sakura took that as her cue and picked up her empty basket before waving goodbye to the elder woman and exiting the shop, Itachi close behind as he opened the door for her once again.

Once outside, they both made their way towards the village's entrance. Sakura and Itachi were so lost in their thoughts that it's only when they parted ways at the gates that they noticed that he had had his hand on the small of her back the entire time. Sakura bade him goodbye, trying to ignore the cold seeping in where his warm touch had been, and left for her cottage. She had plans to prepare for.

By the end of the day, she had sent out a letter to the Capital in order to warn her client about the events occurring in Tsano, and had gone to visit Many-san like she had done everyday since her arrival. The old lady had had respiratory problems, joint pains throughout her body, and a weak heart, so Sakura was careful on checking up on her everyday. With time, her patient had gotten much better. She still complained about the pain in her joints, but she could now go on a long walk without ending up having a coughing fit that left her wheezing on the ground, too weak to get back home.

After that day in Anyko's shop, Itachi and Sakura had not talked about Itachi's mission again, and had kept a physical distance between each other, one never entering the other's personal bubble. But it didn't mean that they were at odds. On the contrary. The two shinobis could be found in each other's company every day. He would find her each morning during her walk in the forest, accompany her throughout the village while she visited her patients, and would then pass the afternoon with her, both sitting near her cottage, talking.

During their conversations, she found out that a lot of things about this man infuriated her. But that thing he did when he raised one eyebrow and looked at her in a way as if asking "What?", seemed to be the thing that got on her nerves the fastest. His features could be very expressive when he wanted, and seeing just how much he used that look on her, he must have known just how much it annoyed her.

But she also saw what a sweet and caring person Itachi really was. His always composed and stoic mask would soften ever so slightly whenever he talked about his family, especially when the topic was about his cousin Shisui, his little brother Sasuke, or his mother. During these brief moments, for barely a second, she could see just how deeply he cared for them, before the warmth in his eyes disappeared as he schooled his features back to that of the heartless ANBU captain he was.

Sakura could only begin to imagine all the horrors he had seen and done during his 8 years in ANBU, since the young prodigy had entered the special forces at the tender age of 11. She couldn't tell him, but Tsunade had never been too happy with her when she graduated from Konoha's Academy at 8, to then become a full fledged shinobi by the age of 13, and surpassing her mentor before reaching her 17th birthday. Her aunt kept telling her to no grow up too fast, but she hadn't really understood her words until recently.

As a kunoichi, she had already killed, even if every cell in her body had screamed and complained that this, as a medic, wasn't right. But she had done what needed to be done in order to accomplish her missions, even if it killed her little by little.

She had the feeling that the main difference between her and Itachi was that her aunt had tried slowing her down to enjoy her childhood, while Itachi's family had crushed that part of him, pushing him ever faster towards his duties and responsibilities, no matter his age. Tsunade, even faraway, had always been there for her, to cheer her up, but Itachi hadn't gotten that kind of support. She could see just how the killing had deeply scarred him, leaving dark marks into his soul that ate at his humanity. He didn't like to result to violence, so had learned to kill down all emotions in order to accomplish what was demanded of him.

He was a kind soul, and Sakura felt a warm feeling swell up within her every time he opened up a little to her and talked about himself. Like how much he likes teasing his Otouto, or that he loves sweet things but was never allowed to eat any, so didn't hold back when he left on missions. He had actually laugh once, when he counted all the silly situations he had gotten himself into because of his perverted cousin. He also told her how his favorite moment of the day was when he got to sit down in front of his family's lake, with a cup of tea, and for a few minutes, he would forget the missions and the killing and the hurt. Showing her this fragile and innocent, yet beautiful, side of himself, Sakura knew that she would always treasure it.

At first, she vaguely answered his questions, feigning amnesia, but gave way at the end. She told him about her childhood, so similar, and yet so different from his.

Always careful to leave out any details that might compromise her position, she told him how she graduated from a ninja academy at the age of 8, and left for the capital to find her last living relative after her parents' death. Summarized how she had, as a medic, sworn loyalty to her current client at the age of 14.

Sakura had been on more missions than she ever wanted to remember, but told him that the memories were never clear, and kept her stories to her childhood.

She had also jumped into the cruel world of shinobis at a too early age, and wore a few scares herself, ones that painfully mirrored his. But she still hoped that maybe, one day, when she didn't have to hide her identity from him, she could share a bit more of her secrets, like he had.

As the week passed, they had grown close to one another, but were mostly ignored by the town's gossips as the representative from the Daimyo's Council had came and left after seeing the mayor. She hadn't told the Uchiha about the planned attack; after all, his official mission was to capture The Cat. She understood that, as a shinobi, he couldn't go around the contract, and would be obliged to catch her if he knew of her double identity. For now, she just hoped that he would come to forgive her for what she had to do.

Two days before the attack, she left in the dead of night and searched far and wide for one of the robbers' camping sites. It wasn't hard to hunt them down, since they were scattered all over the region, but they never stayed in one place for too long, so it could be tricky. After an hour of searching, she finally reached a small camp hidden near the forest's border, and among the scums, she found a woman with her physical built. As silent as The Cat persona she had slipped into, Sakura knocked the thief out and carried her unconscious body back to the small wooden cottage.

When she lit on fire what had been her home for over two years, and when she heard the woman's screams of pain fill the air, she knew that she couldn't go back.

The agonizing shrieks woke the villagers, but it was the hues of red against the night sky that brought them out to her cottage. That brought him to her. He appeared in front of her, his Raven mask facing her Cat one, and even if she couldn't see his eyes, she could feel the cold hatred rolling off him as he saw her figure, clad in black, standing in front of the blazing cottage. She held her head high, short pink locks swaying with the wind as her white and pink mask stood out in front of the darkness and flames.

And she ran.

She vaguely heard him throw a water jutsu over the burning house, while screaming out her name, making guilt sting at her heart. Sakura knew that it was too late for the woman, and when he saw the charred body, he and the villagers would think that Sakura Haruno was dead, and that it had been The Cat that had murdered her.

Clearing her mind to concentrate on the task at hand, she hid in the forest as she made a few clones of herself. Sending them in different directions, to cover up her escape, she hoped that it would slow him down, even just for a bit. Ten minutes later, she felt her first clone disappear brutally. He was on the hunt, and she couldn't help the shiver of fear that coursed through her body.

As the hours dragged on into days, she was amazed that she had managed to keep him going in circles for two days. With a few very close calls where he had almost caught her. The first time he had appeared just behind her, she surprised him by throwing a tree in his direction, giving her the few precious seconds she needed to disappear once again. She was exhausted; his stamina was really impressive, and he never left her time to rest. He was always closing in on her, and killing off her clones, before she made her narrow escape. She had tried concealing her chakra to hide in one place and rest, but he had even seen through that, and that had almost cost her her head, literally.

When the night of the attack arrived, she made him chase her back to the village, her muscles burning with fatigue as the last of her adrenaline kept her awake and alerted. Just as she exited the forest, she made a beeline for the village, not bothering to summon a few clones; not that she had the energy to anyways. A mistake she regretted the second she saw him appear from the forest, landing a few meters back, and running towards her at a fast pace, catching her off guard. As she started twisting her body to block his katana with her last kunai, her back was slammed to the ground, and the two weapons skittered away from their reach. Her mask was still in place, but he ripped his off, bringing his angered face close to her porcelain covered one. Lying on her back, he was kneeling painfully over her, pinning her down and leaning in so close that she could feel his harsh breath on her neck.

"Why did you kill her? She was just a medic!"

He was absolutely pissed, his eyes hard and cold as they bled red, three tomoes spinning furiously. When she let her muscles fall loose, taking in deep and steady breaths to calm her heart, she realized that she was giving up. Maybe she had hit her head a little too hard when he had gotten the drop on her. As the dizziness cleared, she figured that she didn't really care. With a bit of luck, he would go back to the village and stop the attack, after killing her. She was just so tired of all of this.

As Itachi grabbed her by the collar, Sakura felt her upper body being lifted off the ground, her arms hanging limply at her sides. As his face leaned over hers, a thought crossed her mind.

With all the lives they had ended, all the innocents they had failed to save, all the loved ones they had lost… she really was a cruel woman to let him kill and unmask her, only to find that he had killed the one he had wanted to avenge. If she hadn't been panting from the effort of having him chasing her, she would have laugh at how stupid this idea had been. Maybe she should really disappear for good after this mission.

When he was ready to tear off the porcelain mask, he froze for a second.

She steeled herself. She couldn't give up now, no. Her mission was almost over; she couldn't afford to die now. Taking the opening, Sakura pumped chakra into her arms and threw him off her, before vanishing into a tornado of pink petals.

She reappeared on the roof of a house, looking over the village that had barely begun to fall asleep, and made her way into old lady Many's home. When the kunoichi entered the main room, she found the old woman quietly sipping her tea, undisturbed as Sakura, still wearing her Cat mask, bowed respectfully before sitting down in a corner to rest. Barely an hour later, the pink haired girl felt the first scoundrel pass the village's gates, and slowly got up. She waited then for Many-san to rise to her feet, ready to be escorted outside.

As the two women crossed the house's threshold, the carnage had already started. A few building were already starting to burn while people were screaming as they escaped from their smoking homes. Many-san was wearing a long silk kimono dyed in red hues, with a golden phoenix taking flight sewed on the back. Her hair had been twisted into an intricate bun held by a gold comb, and the old lady held her head high and regal as she walked down the dirty pavements at a slow pace, as if she was walking through a peaceful garden instead of a burning village.

Many-san stopped and, with the wave of a hand, ordered Sakura to bring her the one responsible for all this. Sakura stood quietly behind her elder as she unleashed the seal on her forehead. It was a jutsu her aunt had taught her, and all the chakra Sakura had been stocking into the seal suddenly coursed through her body, giving her the energy she needed for what was to come.

The pinkette sent out a clone to go get the mayor that was currently in the middle of the Town's Square, shouting orders to load up the carriages with their stolen goods. Thugs were coming out of houses, breaking down doors, and smashing in windows, as they collected the villager's gold and other precious items. While Sakura stayed near the elder woman, protecting her, the clone sent out a few chakra enhanced punches to the enemies in her path, sending them crashing into the nearest walls as she made her way towards the greasy old man still shouting orders around.

The mayor's face paled when he finally saw the silhouette coming towards him, a pale mask illuminated by the flickering fires around her, like a prowling shadow cat in this dark chaotic night. The clone dragged him to his knees in front of Many-san before disappearing, just as Sakura fell to one knee, bowing in front of the woman that had taken a step forward towards the imposter.

"I am Manakiko, mother of the Great Fire Daimyo, and you", her gaze was hard and cold as she looked disdainfully at the shaking old man at her feet, "are to be executed for treason to the Land of Fire."

Manakiko gracefully stepped back as Sakura rose to her feet and plunged a kunai at the base of the man's skull. Once she was sure his heart had stopped, she followed the Daimyo's mother to a carriage that would bring them to the Capital. Her mission was accomplished in this village. The only relief Sakura had, at that very moment, was the knowledge that Itachi was currently fending off the last of the thugs, thus completing his own mission.

o.O.o

It had taken her three long months, but Sakura had escorted the Daimyo's mother back to the capital, and had managed to make this her last mission. Of course, it hadn't been easy to convince the great Fire Lord to let go of one of his most talented medic, but with a little help from her aunt, who seemed to be well acquainted with the Daimyo's mother, she had been relieved of her duties. Regret still lingered when she thought of Anyko, her kids, Jinko, and the other villagers, but Sakura was happy to know that, with Anyko as the new mayor, the village would be fine.

Itachi, on his side, had taken on mission after mission, never taking time off, much to Tsunade's annoyance. At least that was the case until the day she called him over to her office after another one of his completed jobs. As he entered the room, the busty blond Hokage held a scrutinizing gaze on him as he walked towards her desk, his steps faltering when he saw the small pink haired woman standing next to the window, behind Konoha's Kage, and wearing a white and red cat mask. Doing as if she hadn't seen her ANBU Captain's uneasy step, Tsunade spoke up.

"Uchiha-san, this is Sakura Haruno, my niece. She has been working for the Daimyo since the age of 14, and will now be joining Konoha's elite. I hope I can count on you to show her around."

Itachi bowed, not saying a word as Tsunade got up and left the room while holding back a smirk. When the door closed behind the Hokage, silence fell around the two figures staring at one another.

Walking slowly, not leaving her from his sight as if she would disappear in front of him like she had done so many nights ago, he stopped in front of her and slowly reached out for her face. Green emerald eyes met black onyx ones as her mask hit the ground, and Sakura found it almost unnerving how calm and composed he was.

"You were on a mission for the Daimyo?"

"I was sent to protect and heal Manakiko-sama."

Her vibrant green eyes so full of life and energy never wavered from his. It was strange seeing her with pink hair instead of the soft brown he was accustomed to, but strangely it fit her.

Bringing his hand slowly to the side of her face, he combed his finger lightly through her hair, marveling at the color.

"Why didn't you tell me you were The Cat?"

His voice stayed as a soft whisper, and it actually unsettled her that he wasn't getting mad at her. She certainly would have been pissed if he had pulled a stunt like that on her.

"If I had told you that I was The Cat, would you have listened to me, or would you have accomplished the job you were hired to do?"

His silence was enough answer for her, so she moved on to the next question.

"How did you know it was me?"

He raised his second hand, cupping her face while gently brushing her cheeks with his thumb.

"When I caught The Cat, I noticed that she smelled just like Maple syrup... Just like you. And then I saw you disappear in a flurry of pink cherry blossoms and I knew… You are joining ANBU then."

She smiled at him warmly, she had missed those questions that weren't really ones.

"Yeah, I got tired of always going solo. And I'll be helping out Shishou at the hospital too."

Her smile grew wider, and a bit mischievous as she asked him one last question :

"Will you give me the 7 Maple lollipops you still owe me?"

A genuine smile tugged at his lips as he gave her that warm look she had grown to love, and her heartbeat picked up as he slowly bent down and molded his lips to hers. Sakura leaned into the kiss, passing her arms around his neck, relenting into him as she tasted the maple syrup off his lips.


End file.
